Dyche Ready to Compete with 'Super-Power' City

Sean Dyche is expecting his side to bounce back and compete with Premier League ‘super-powers’ Manchester City at a sold-out Turf Moor on Saturday.

The Clarets lost 4-0 at West Bromwich Albion on Monday night following a below-par performance.

But with an impressive home record behind them, Dyche expects his players to show their true colours against City, who are a point behind league leaders Chelsea as they chase the title.

“I think they are most people’s favourites for the league this year, over a season’s work, and, of course, they are going well in Europe as well,” said the Burnley boss.

“We know the super-powers of the division and these are definitely one of them. It’s more about us delivering a performance.

“These are massive challenges for us. The Premier League is a big challenge for us, let alone anything else, but when you are playing the super-power teams it really is a massive challenge.

“The gulf between the two sides is absolutely massive but we are pleased, on the other hand, that football isn’t always played out like that. It’s not a given, but they will know that as well.

George Boyd struck Burnley's winner in a 1-0 victory over City in March, 2015

“We have made a good reputation as being a side that are, at least, willing to compete in every game, barring, strangely, last Monday, which was a rare one for us.

“Generally speaking, we are up for the competition in every game.”

Dyche confirmed he and his players got together in training on Tuesday to talk through the defeat at West Brom.

He admitted that the level of performances away from home needs to change, but stressed that he would not be ‘over-thinking’ a bad day at the office.

And with 13 points on the board from their seven home fixtures, the Clarets are still well placed in 12th position in the table before the televised lunch-time visit (kick-off 12.30pm) of Pep Guardiola’s big-spending City.

Dyche - whose side took four points from City in Burnley's last top-flight campaign - added: “The players know we haven’t really taken on the challenge away from home as we have at home.

“In balance to that is really strong home form in a very tough division. We are very pleased with that.

“We took seven point out of nine before West Brom. Let’s not forget that. It has to be looked at in the bigger picture.

“We are not the real deal, we have never said we are. We are learning and developing.”

Dyche also used his pre-match media commitments to confirm Joey Barton’s return to training at Burnley.

Last season’s Clarets’ player of the year is a free agent after leaving Rangers and is working at the Barnfield Training Centre to improve his fitness.

“He’s quite aware there’s a good environment here to get himself fit and that’s what he’s choosing to do at the moment,” Dyche added.